Not many Queens residents realize that the longest certified race in the world takes place inside their own borough. The Jamaica block which encompasses Thomas A Edison High School and Joe Austin Park makes up the course for the Self Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race.
The race is inspired by the late spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy, whose philosophy was that a person has infinite capacity within oneself. The 3,100 mile race is meant to challenge a runner to help him better himself. The race has been held annually for the past 14 years and runs from June 14 until August 4.
“You have to have a passion, you really have to in order to enjoy the experience,” said Ru Pantarnr, the head race director. “Runners have to average 62 miles a day in order to finish.”
According to Pantarnr, there are approximately 10-14 runners depending on the year. A single lap around the course is just over a half mile, two laps equaling 1.1 miles. Runners are given from 6 a.m. until midnight to run the course, eating as they go and only taking small breaks to use restrooms.
The race takes its toll on the runners. Two runners were forced to drop out due to medical reasons while most others have sustained minor injuries.
“Physically it’s very hard because you’re doing something that is very repetitive and almost non-stop for 18 hours,” said Arpan, an employee and former race runner. Also, runners need to be able to commit to the race for almost two months, while taking leave from their jobs and families.
While the race is not for everyone, several runners have managed to finish and return for future years. The Queens Courier followed first place runner Asprihanal Aalto, a postal worker in Finland, for his 3060th mile. This was his 9th time running, and he is a follower of Sri Chinmoy’s philosophy.
“I’m trying to make inner progress,” said Aalto “That’s one of the main reasons I do this. It’s tough, you have to fight your mind and boredom.”
He plans to run the upcoming 24 hour race in London but still feels that “this is the best and most challenging race.”
Aalto finished the race on Monday, July 27 at 10:28 p.m. According to race officials, his official first-place time was 43 days, 16 hours, 28 minutes, and 6 seconds averaging 70.964 mile per day. This was Aalto’s record sixth victory in the 3,100 mile race.
